7 Ingredients You Should be Freezing

Today I want to share 7 of my favorite ingredients you should be freezing.

 

In a previous post, we discussed some of my favorite staples that you should always store in your pantry.  So if you haven’t checked that out, I highly recommend that you do.  But today I want to continue on that idea and share some of my favorite ingredients to store in that other place we have in the kitchen.  

 

You know the freezer!  

 

(It might look a little chaotic but there’s a method to the madness.)

And just to be clear I’m not talking about pre-frozen goods like bagged potatoes, peas, or hot pockets.  But rather 7 things that you should be freezing, that you might not have known you can freeze.

 

 

The Problem Every Home Cook Eventually Runs Into

 

If you’ve ever spent any amount of time cooking at home you have run into this type of situation.  You open up a can of tomato paste and use a tablespoon, You mince half a bundle of cilantro for taco night, or you dice up an onion only to need ¾ of it.  

 

And what do you do with the rest?

 

Well, you place it in your fridge and pray that you will find a way to use up those remaining ingredients sometime later in the week.  But in my experience, those prayers often go unanswered.  And what ends up happening is those ingredients go bad and you are forced to toss them out.  What a waste!

 

But there’s an easy, and rather obvious solution to this problem, the freezer.  Using it can extend the life of pretty much every ingredient for months.  This results in less food waste, which is great for the environment and ultimately saves you some money.  Plus having small portions of certain ingredients in your freezer really helps with meal prep.  And who doesn’t love that!

 

 

The 7 Ingredients You Should be Freezing

 

 

#1 Tomato paste

Tomato paste from a can is one of the best ingredients to freeze into individual portions.  Which makes it super easy to add a bit to soups, sauces, or marinades whenever you need them.  

 

How to do it

1. Get out a small baking sheet or plate and line it with either parchment paper or wax paper.
2. Use either a tablespoon or a teaspoon (depending on the portion size you prefer) to scoop the tomato paste out of the can.  Place each of these scoops out on the baking sheet/plate roughly 1 inch apart.
3. Place the baking sheet/plate into your freezer until the tomato paste has frozen solid.
4. Transfer the frozen tomato paste portions to a plastic bag and store them in your freezer until needed.

 

How long will frozen tomato paste last?  

Tomato paste can be stored in your freezer for at least 8 months but is best used before 4 months.

 

Some Recipes to use your frozen tomato paste in: Cabbage Rolls, Coq au Vin, Saag Aloo, Spanish Rice, and Tomato Soup.

 

 

#2 Chipotle Peppers in Adobo

Just like tomato paste, canned chipotle peppers in adobo are a great ingredient to freeze.  The process forces you to do all of the prep work up front making it super easy to add a bit to anything that you require.  And there’s no noticeable difference in quality as long as you use it within a reasonable time.

 

How to do it

1. If the chipotle peppers are whole then you will need to chop them into fine pieces before preceding.  You can also remove some or all of the seeds during this step if you prefer them to be less spicy.
2. Get out a small baking sheet or plate and line it with either parchment paper or wax paper.
3. Use either a tablespoon or a teaspoon (depending on the portion size you prefer) to scoop up the chopped chipotle peppers along with some of the adobo sauce.  Place each of these scoops out on the baking sheet/plate roughly 1 inch apart.
4. Place the baking sheet/plate into your freezer until the chipotle pepper portions are frozen solid.
5. Transfer the frozen chipotle pepper portions to a plastic bag and store them in your freezer until needed.

 

How long will frozen chipotle peppers last?

Just like tomato paste, frozen chipotle pepper in adobo will last at least 8 months but are best used within 4 months.

 

Some recipes to use your frozen chipotle peppers in: Chipotle Cream Sauce, Chipotle Lime Pork Chops, and Honey Chipotle Shrimp.

 

 

#3 Fresh Ginger

Ginger is one of my all-time favorite ingredients to freeze as it holds up well and thaws easily.  So make sure to have some on hand that way you can add them to your favorite stir fry, soups, or marinades.

 

How to do it

1. Use either a vegetable peeler or spoon to peel the skin off the entire piece of fresh ginger. 
2. Slice the peeled ginger into thin disks (no more than ¼ inch thick).
3. Pad each disk of ginger dry with a paper towel so that they are less likely to stick together while freezing.  Then place them evenly in a plastic bag so that no piece is sitting on top of another and remove as much air as possible before sealing.
4. Store the bag in your freezer and use it when needed.

 

How long with frozen ginger last?

Ginger will last at least 6 months in the freezer but is best used within 3 months.

 

Some Recipes to use your frozen ginger in: Chermoula Sauce, Ginger Pork (Shogayaki), Jerk Chicken, Honey Soy Salmon, and Vegetable Biriyani.

 

 

#4 Hot chilies (e.g. Caynee, Jalapeno, Habenero, Serrano, Thai)

If you are someone who loves spicy food, then having frozen hot chilies is a must.  They actually hold up really well to freezing and thawing.  And other than drying, freezing is a great way to store excess chilies if you grow your own.  Plus most uses for hot chilies require them to be cooked, so theirs no need to worry about any diminished textural quality. 

 

How to do it

1. Wash and dry each chili pepper that you plan on freezing.
2. (optional) If you are freezing chilies with thick flesh like Serrano or Jalapeno then I recommend that you chop them into small disks or pieces.  As chopping them up after they thaw can be a little challenging.  Plus this gives you the opportunity to remove the seeds/stems during this step if you prefer them to be less spicy.  But when it comes to thin fleshed chilies like Cayenne, Habenero, & Thai I suggest you leave them whole.  Mainly because it is less prep work and much easier to store them that way.
3. For chopped chilies I recommend that you portion them out on a lined baking sheet (just like with the tomato paste & chipotle) and freeze them before placing them in a plastic bag.  As for the whole chilies simply toss them in a plastic bag and remove as much air as possible before sealing.  
4. Store the chilies in your freezer until needed.

 

How long with frozen hot chilies last?

Frozen hot chili peppers will last at least 8 months, but are best when used before 6 months.

 

Some recipes to use your frozen hot chilies in: Chilli Chicken, Habenero Hot Sauce, Thai Basil Chicken.

 

 

#5 Cilantro

Ok, this one might sound a bit crazy.  And to be completely honest, frozen cilantro will never be a perfect substitute for fresh cilantro when used to sprinkle over a finished dish like tacos.  But when it’s incorporated into hot dishes like soups or sauces you’ll never know the difference.  So it’s always worth it to freeze any leftovers that otherwise would get tossed out for those types of situations.

 

How to do it

1. Trim most of the bottom stems off of the cilantro.
2. Thoroughly wash the cilantro to remove any mud or grime off the leaves.
3. Dry the cilantro by lightly pressing them between some paper towels.  Or better yet run them through a salad spinner.  The less water they have the better, as wet leaves tend to stick together while freezing.  
4. Place the dried cilantro into a plastic bag, and press out the air before sealing.
5. Store the cilantro in your freezer until needed.

 

How long with frozen cilantro last?

Frozen cilantro can last up to 8 months but is best used within 3 months of freezing.

 

Some recipes to use your frozen cilantro in: Aji Verde, Onion Pakora, Pork Larb, Tom Yum Soup.

 

 

#6 Diced Vegetables (e.g. Asparagus, Bell pepper, Onion) 

This is one I learned from my mother at a very young age.  Because every time there were excess portions of vegetables that didn’t get used in a recipe she would dice them up and freeze them.  Then every morning when she made herself scrambled eggs she would simply take a bit out of the freezer and add them in.  But even if you don’t like scrambled eggs, having a variety of diced vegetables in your freezer is great for meal prep.  As they can quickly be added to all sorts of small dishes.

 

How to do it

1. Dice up your vegetables if that hasn’t been done already.  The size of the dice is entirely up to you and your preference.
2. Line a small baking sheet or plate with parchment/wax paper.  Spread the diced vegetables over this in an even layer and place them in your freezer until each piece is frozen solid.
3. Place the frozen vegetables in a plastic bag and remove as much air as you can before sealing.
4. Store this in your freezer until needed.

 

How long will frozen diced vegetables last?

It depends on what vegetable you are freezing but generally, they will last at least 8 months and is best used within 6 months.

 

Some recipes to use your frozen diced vegetables in: Breakfast Enchiladas (bell pepper & onion), Egg Fried Rice (carrot & onion), Huevos Pericos (green onion), Steak au Poivre (shallots)

 

 

#7 Fresh Fruit (e.g. Bananas, Berries, Cherries, Kiwi, Melon)

Last but not least we have fresh fruit.  And yes every type of fruit you can imagine can be frozen for later use.  Which is great for when you have a boat load of the stuff at the peak of ripeness, but not enough people to eat it all.  The only downside is that once thawed your frozen fruit will lose some of its texture and become a bit mushy.  But if you are cooking them for a recipe, or blending them for a smoothie then there is no need to worry.  Because the taste will still be perfect!

 

How to do it

1. Remove any inedible bits from your fruit if it needs it (core of apples, skin of bananas/melons, pits of stone fruit).  Then cut the flesh of your fruit into chunks any size you want.  If you are freezing berries then you can leave them whole just make sure to wash and dry them. 
2. Line a small baking sheet or plate with parchment/wax paper.  Spread the prepared fruit in an even layer over this and place them in your freezer until each piece is frozen solid.
3. Transfer the frozen fruit to a plastic bag and remove as much air as you can before sealing.
4. Store the fruit in your freezer and use it when needed.

 

How long will frozen fruit last?

Much like the diced vegetables, it will all depend on what type of fruit you are freezing.  However, they should generally last at least 8 months and have their best quality when used within 4 months.

 

Recipes to use your frozen fruit in: Almond Cherry Oatmeal, Banana Nut Muffins, Blueberry Sorbet, Mango Lassi, Mango Sorbet, Strawberry Sorbet. 

 

So there you go!  And if you have your own freezer tips or other ingredients that you personally like to freeze then please share a comment below.  I would love to hear from you!